Automatic safety device for elevators.



H. P. MAY.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.26. 1908.

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Patented J an. 24, 1911.

H. P. MAY. I AUTOMATI U FSAEETY DEVICE FOR. ELEVATDRS.

APYLIUATIOH FILED DE G.Z6,190B

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7/ 7 Zia "City,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY P. KAY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO H. A. STEVENS, J. W. STEPHENS, AND H. S. JULIAN, ALL OFKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

' AUTOIATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pa.tent;ed Jan. 24, 1911..

Application filed December 26, 1908. Serial No. 469,254.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. MAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas in the county of J ackson and State of Missouri,have. invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Automatic SafetyDevices for Elevators, of .which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic safety devices for passenger andfreight elevators, and my object is to provide electrically-controlledmeans whereby the opening of the doors at each landing of the elevator,will bring into operation certain brake mechanism whereby'the motor foroperating the car will be locked and any movement of the car preventeduntil the door has been closed at each floor or, landing; thuspreventing persons from attempting to enter or get out of an ascendingor descending car, through a partlyclosed door, while the car is inmotion.

In the drawings, which illustrate the invention: Figure 1 shows avertical section of an elevator shaft and a car equipped withmy'invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the circuitand electricalappliances employed in carrying out the invention. Fig. 3 is an enlargedelevation of a novel circuit-breaker employed in carrying out theinvention. Fi 4 is a longitudinal section on line IV IV of Fig. '3. Fig.5 is a detail of a latch employed in carrying out the invention.

1 designates the elevator shaft; 2, the various landings with which saidshaft communicates; 3, the gates for closing the open ings leading fromthe shaft to the landings; 4, the-elevator car; 5, the motor foroperating the car; 6, the magnetic controllingboard; 7, the controllerfor starting, stopping, andreversing the direction of travel of the car;8, 9, and 10, conductors loading from the magnetic controlling-board 6to the controller 7; 11 and 12, conductors leading from the magneticcontrolling-board 6 to motor 5: 13, a brake for locking the motor,consisting of an electromagnet 14 in,

circuit with conductor 12, a lever 15 pro vided at one end with anarmature 1G and at its opposite end with a shoe 17, a frictionwheel 18fixed or geared to the motor shaft 5*, and a retractile spring 19 forthrowing the brakeshoe 17 into engagement with the 6 and a lfriction-wheel 18, when the current through the electromagnet 14 isinterrupted, and A and B designate two conductors communi- .cating withthe magnetic controlling-board source of electrical energy, not shown.All of the above parts are of ordinary construction and hence a detaileddescription thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The current to themotor may either be interrupted in the usual mannerthrough the intermediacy of the controller 7, or it may be automaticallyinterrupted when a gate at any of the landings is thrown open by meansof novel circuit-breakers, which I lace at said landings. Each ofsaidcircuitreakers consists of a pair of jaws 20 and an arm 21, whichlatter is adapted to slidingly engage the adjacent sides of the former,and thus the motor 5. Jaws 20 are pivotally-mounted at their rear endsupon pins 22 and are normally pressed into engagement with a manuallyoperable rotary member 23 by a U- shaped spring 24. .Arm 21 is pivotallysecured to a gate 3 by a screw 25, and held in line with the space 26between jaws '20, by a spring 27, and in order that it mayreadily entersaid space and engage the adjacent sides of the jaws, I point itsforwardend 28 and .fiare the free ends 29 of said jaws.

pointed terminal 28 to engage one of the flaring ends 29, it will guidearm 21 into its proper position between the jaws 20.

Cable 10 is cut at a point opposite each circuit-breaker, and theterminals thus formed are connected to jaws 20, which latter are mountedin a box 30, secured to frame 31 beside the gate-opening in said frame.Box 30 is either insulated or constructed of insulating material toprevent frame 31 from becoming charged from the jaws 20. It also extendsbeyond the flaring ends of the jaws to protect the hand of the elevatoroperator from any sparks which might occur when arm 21 is withdrawn inthe act of opening a gate. Arm 21, which is carried by the gate, isinsulated therefrom by a casing 32, to preventsaid gate from becomingcharged from the arm. Said arm is also divided by an insulator 33, as anextra precaution against charging the gate.

34 designates a strap for preventing the Hence should the gate sag andcause the close the circuitbetween the controller 7 and" free end of arm21 from dropping down below the flaring end of the lowermost jaw 30 incase spring 27 should become broken.

The rotary member is interposed between jaws 20 to hold the same apart,and it,

consists of a conductor 35 and two oppositelydisposed insulators 36,which latter are normally in contact with the aws to prevent thecurrentfrom flowing from one jaw 20 to the other when arm 21 iswithdrawn by throw ing open the gate. However, when it is desired torepair a gate without stopping the ear, member 23 is rotated a quarterof a revolution to bring the conductor into engagementwith jaws 20, andthus provide a path from one jaw to the other when the arm 21 iswithdrawn. Member 23 is circular in form and mounted upon a pin 37,provided with a knob 38 and a notched wheel 39, which latter is engagedby a spring-Clctcnt 4-0, for reliably holding member 23 in either of itspositions. Jaws QOare recessed at 20 to give them broad bearings on therotary member 23.

The operation, briefly stated, is as follows The circuit between the!controller 7 and motor 5 is normally closed, so that the car at is freeto traverseithe shaft 1. When a gate atone of the landings is thrownpartly or completely open, its arm 21 is withdrawn from between itsrespective jaws 20. interrupts the circuit to tlie motor and deenergizesmagnet 14, so that spring 19 will actuate the brake which locks themotor until the gate is closed, and again completes the circuit byforcing its arm 21 into contact with the jaws 20. Sliould'the gate getout of order and it is desirable to repair. it without shutting down thecar, this can .be accomplished by turning its respective rotary member aquarter of a revolution to bring its conductor in contact with itsrespective jaws 20. The gate can then be opened without interrupting themotor circuit.

\Vhile I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, l,of course. do not limit myself to the exact. details oi. constructionand arrangement of parts shown in the drawings, but reserve the right tomake such changes as properly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention,what. I claim is: r

1. A safety device for elevators, coinprising, in combination with anelevator gate, a fixed contactdevice adapted to be located in anelevator operating circuit and a movable This element carried by saidgate to contact with said contact device, said fixed contact devicecomprising a pair of parallel spaced, and independently pivoted jaws,and means to exert uniform pressure on the outer side of each jaw topress them equally together. and said movable element comprising atongue pivotally mounted to be directed between said jaws. and springmeans bearin nnitormly on each side of said tongue, wnercby the latterdirected centrally between said jaws and is permitted to adjust itselfto the latter.

2. A safety device for elevators, comprising, in combination with anelevator gate, a fixed contact device adapted to be located in an ele*ator operating circuit and a movable element carried by said gate tocontact with said contact device, said fixed contact device comprising apair oi parallel, spaced and pivoted jaws, a rotatable clement betweensaid jaws adapted to direct the currcnt constantly through the saidjaws, said rotatable element consisting of alternate oppositely disposedinsulating and conducting materials and a spring element bearing on theouter sides of said jaws to press them together, and said movableelement comprising a tongue adapted to enter between said spring pressedjaws to close the elevator circuit.

A safety device for elevators, comprising, in combination with anelevator gate, a fixed contact device adapted to be located in anelevator operating circuit and a movable element carried by said gate tocontact with said contact device, said fixed contact device comprising apair of parallel, spaced and pivoted jaws, and a spring element bearingon the outer sides of said jaws to press them together, an elementrotatable between said jaws and comprising alternate oppositely disposedsegments of insulating and conducting material, whereby said element isadapted to direct the currentconstantly through said jaws or to insulatesaid jaws from one another and said movable element comprising aspringccntered tongue directed to project bet ween the free ends of saidspring-pressed jaws to close the elevator circuit.

In testimony whereot'l ailix my signature, in the presence ot twowiti'iesses.

HENRY P. MAY.

\Vi tness ,s

F. G. Frsonnn, W. Cox.

